LABORIE ALEXANDRE

As an eonophile visiting Provence, my wife and I wanted to visit some wineries near Aix-en-Provence. Chateau La Gaude was highly recommended on many sites, and their website said they had wine tastings in French in the morning and English in the afternoon. We drove out there a little after two PM, and despite challenging directions for parking, finally got to their hotel reception desk only to find out that without a reservation, they wouldn’t be able to accommodate us. They did have a tasting scheduled at 5:00 PM. We thanked the hostess and drove to Chateau La Coste which had walk in availability and a great tasting experience. Chateau La Gaude is a resort/spa/hotel which happens to make some wines as well.

Tried getting a refund due to the fact the pool wasn’t working on the app didn’t show opening time. So when I cancelled and booked another the hotel do nothing to help me didn’t offer other dates to stay my fiancé heavily pregnant and wanted a pool. Not enough info and time response too slow even though I messaged 5mins after finding out pool was closed temporarily. Wont stay again.

Do not come here - worst 5 star hotel in aix -en- Provence:|Nightmare and it continues. Paying over 1,000 euros a nightl:|1: air conditioning not working 26degrees in room.|2. No show turn down service|3.room service, to be kind- hopeless. You have to ask for anything at least twice, with 45 minutes gap between each time. Often they do not even bother to answer|If anyone is managing this 1 star facility, they should hang their head in shame.|This is the third hotel on our tour of Provence and by a massive margin the worst.

Beautiful property and well kept rooms. It is nice that they have a winery on property. I would suggest letting them know in advance if you are in any kind of hurry or rush and provide very very very clear instructions of anything you need even if you are speaking in French or English.

Let’s start with the good stuff! Chateau de la Gaude is an undeniably gorgeous property. The estate is immaculately maintained and strewn with modern art pieces which make for a unique experience against the traditional chateau architecture and gorgeous French gardens. We were happy with our room as well, it felt pristine and upscale. Generally, the food was also delicious and of very high quality! Now, the service…in my opinion is not a truly 5-star experience. Some examples: When we arrived, the concierge gave us a glass of wine, a map, told us our room wasn’t ready, and left. We were not given a tour or told anything about the hotel, so we had no idea what to do for 2 hours while we waited. At check in, they offered to reserve dinner at 7:30 in the brasserie which we accepted. When I arrived, the two staff argued with each other over their iPad for a long time in front of me and said we must be on a later seating. They ended up seating us, but as a guest I should not be made to feel awkward about the concierge’s mistake. During the day, there is a restaurant that is apparently open but I had to fight to get service. We like to enjoy a glass of wine in the afternoon on the estate but nobody ever came up to us to ask if we wanted anything, every time I had to go searching for someone in the restaurant to ask. I stood at the bar while the staff ignored me and polished glasses or set up dinner service, and I felt like I was bothering them. They also never came back to our table to ask if we wanted another drink, and every time we got the bill I had to go back into the restaurant to find someone. I had to actively ask for service at every step yet the restaurant was nearly empty every day. Similarly at the spa, I walked in to find nobody at the front desk, and when someone did come in, they didn’t greet me. It was not easy to find out whether as a guest I could use the spa, and which parts. Nobody explained to me where to get changed or what to do. I figured it o

Château de la Gaude is the perfect destination if you’re looking for a private yet luxurious experience. The property itself is stunning, the grounds are beautiful, the service is exceptional, and everything about the hotel creates the atmosphere of a true luxury getaway. From the moment we arrived, the staff went above and beyond. Our luggage was immediately taken to our room while we were given a personal tour of the hotel. A golf cart is always available to bring guests to the pool, and with only a limited number of rooms, the hotel feels wonderfully private, almost as if it belongs entirely to you, even when fully booked. Even before our arrival, communication was excellent. The team was responsive, thoughtful, and proactive in ensuring we had everything we needed, including arranging activities and bookings for us. As we keep strictly kosher, the staff went out of their way to accommodate us. They arranged catered meals, and the head chef himself personally picked up the food. He was truly a mensch, warm, attentive, and generous. When we accidentally over-ordered, he didn’t even charge us for all of it. We also dined at the Michelin-starred restaurant, where the service and professionalism were at the absolute highest level I’ve ever experienced. The surrounding area is just as breathtaking, with vineyards you can stroll through and explore. I would highly recommend Château de la Gaude to anyone seeking a refined, private, and memorable stay.

The area surrounding the hotel is amazing and beautiful, the vineyards and nature create an atmosphere of calm. The art and sculptures scattered throughout the grounds surrounding the hotel and among the trees are fascinating. The saunas are strong and good and the service from the staff and the wine shop is kind and good.

We booked three nights. Admittedly, our expectations of this 5* CR were very high (partly because of the price). Our disappointment was correspondingly huge. Within the first few hours, we began to get the impression that nothing in this hotel could be taken for granted, except for the hefty bill. It all started when the very small young receptionist (the only one on duty) then lugged our two suitcases, each weighing over 30kg, and the shoe bag across the cobblestones of the car park up the steps to our room (despite her protests and my 68 years, I had to step in, as the two suitcases weighed far more than her body weight). Unbelievable organisation! The room was a fair value 3* or a below-average 4* hotel. We had a view to the next building’s wall. The service is thoroughly unprofessional (though not unfriendly!). For the first time in my life, a bottle of champagne was placed on the table completely bare (without an ice bucket). The dirty dishes in the room isn’t cleared away; coffee and water are only topped up occasionally. The absolute no-go was when our hotel room door was left wide open after we returned from dinner!! The evening service staff was there but forgot to close and lock it. The swimming pool is more like a children’s paddling pool; there is no relaxation area for adults. Reception promised to organise e-bikes for us (agreed in writing), but then cancelled it later. It’s best not to get annoyed about long waiting times for service, particularly when clearing away after meals. The owner of this château clearly places a great deal of importance on the outward appearance (the park, art, tasting and sales rooms, restaurant décor) and very little on trained, well-treated staff, or on value for money for hotel guests. You might enjoy this place for an event or a dinner; but the price for an overnight stay is definitely far too high. And I certainly wouldn’t want to be a hotel guest while an event is taking place at the same time. In future, we’ll make